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Battery deviceBattery device description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070080661, Battery device. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2005-297543 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Oct. 12, 2005, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Technical Field [0003] The present invention relates to a battery device. [0004] 2. Related Art [0005] Portable electronic equipment such as a mobile phone or a digital still camera uses a battery device (a battery pack) as a power source. [0006] There is provided a battery device including a case, a battery cell housed in the case and provided with a cell terminal, a battery terminal provided to the case and electrically connected to the cell terminal, and a control section housed in the case and enabling or disabling the battery cell to perform charging or discharging operation (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3371146). [0007] The control section has a function of preventing overcharge or over discharge of the battery cell to protect the battery cell. Therefore, the control section is designed in accordance with the electrical characteristic (specification) of each battery cell. SUMMARY [0008] Incidentally, it is concerned that a used battery devices are disassembled to take out the battery cells and the control sections, and a so-called rebuilt battery device is manufactured by gathering them in to be distributed. [0009] Such a rebuilt battery device has not only a disadvantage of having a shorter life than the normal battery device since the battery cell has already been deteriorated, but also a threat that the overcharge and the over discharge are not properly protected since the control section not suitable to the battery cell is combined. Therefore, if the rebuilt battery device is implemented in electronic equipment, the desired performance is not exerted, and malfunction of the electronic equipment might be caused, thus the convenience for the user is disturbed. [0010] In view of the above circumstances, it is desirable to provide an advantageous battery device capable of preventing manufacture and distribution of a rebuilt battery device by substantially disabling the function of the rebuilt battery device even if the battery device is rebuilt, thereby enhancing convenience for the user. [0011] According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a battery device including a battery cell including a cell terminal, a case that houses the battery cell, a battery terminal provided to the case and electrically connected to the cell terminal, and a control section that is housed in the case and allows and inhibits charge and discharge of the battery cell, wherein the control section includes a detection section that detects an output voltage value of the cell terminal at a predetermined interval, and assuming that the latest output voltage value detected by the detection section is V1, and the output voltage value detected by the detection section immediately before the latest output voltage value V1 is V0, the control section is configured to allow charge and discharge of the battery cell in accordance with an absolute value |.DELTA.V| of a difference .DELTA.V=V1-V0 between the latest output voltage V1 and the previous output voltage V0 being smaller than a predetermined reference value, and to inhibit charge and discharge of the battery cell in accordance with the absolute value |.DELTA.V| being equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value. [0012] Further, according to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a battery device including a battery cell including a cell terminal, a case that houses the battery cell, a battery terminal provided to the case and electrically connected to the cell terminal, and a control section that is housed in the case and allows and inhibits charge and discharge of the battery cell, wherein the control section includes a charge/discharge number counter section that counts the number of times of charge and discharge of the battery cell, and the control section is configured to allow charge and discharge of the battery cell in accordance with the number of times of charge and discharge counted by the charge/discharge number counter section being smaller than a predetermined reference value, and to inhibit charge and discharge of the battery cell in accordance with the number of times of charge and discharge counted by the charge/discharge number counter section being equal to or greater than the predetermined reference value. [0013] Further, according to still another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a battery device including a battery cell including a cell terminal, a case that houses the battery cell, a battery terminal provided to the case and electrically connected to the cell terminal, and a control section that is housed in the case and allows and inhibits charge and discharge of the battery cell, wherein the control section includes a detection section that detects an output voltage value of the cell terminal at a predetermined interval, and the control section includes a charge/discharge number counter section that counts the number of times of charge and discharge of the battery cell, and assuming that the latest output voltage value detected by the detection section is V1, and the output voltage value detected by the detection section immediately before the latest output voltage value V1 is V0, the control section is configured to allow charge and discharge of the battery cell in accordance with an absolute value |.DELTA.V| of a difference .DELTA.V=V1-V0 between the latest output voltage V1 and the previous output voltage V0 being smaller than a first predetermined reference value and the number of times of charge and discharge counted by the charge/discharge number counter section being smaller than a second predetermined reference value, and to inhibit charge and discharge of the battery cell in accordance with one of the absolute value |.DELTA.V| being equal to or greater than the first predetermined reference value, and the number of times of charge and discharge counted by the charge/discharge number counter section being equal to or greater than the second predetermined reference value. [0014] According to an embodiment of the invention, even if the battery device is rebuilt, it becomes possible to substantially disable the rebuilt battery device. Therefore, manufacture and distribution of the rebuilt battery can be prevented, thus the convenience for the user can advantageously be enhanced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a battery device 10. [0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the battery device 10. [0017] FIG. 3 is a chart for schematically explaining the operations of a battery cell 14, a charging FET 26, and a discharging FET 28. [0018] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the battery device 10 according a first embodiment. [0019] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the battery device 10 according a second embodiment. [0020] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the battery device 10 in a modified example. Continue reading about Battery device... Full patent description for Battery device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Battery device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Battery device or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Multi-type battery charger control Next Patent Application: Universal battery module and controller therefor Industry Class: Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Battery device patent info. 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